TS8A: Introduction to Protein Engineering
DAY 1, MONDAY, 12 NOVEMBER, 2018: 13:30 - 19:30 HRS
DAY 2, TUESDAY, 13 NOVEMBER, 08:30 - 18:30 HRS

Room Location: Room 5C

Instructor:

David Bramhill, Ph.D., Founder, Bramhill Biological Consulting, LLC

CHI’s Introduction to Protein Engineering training seminar offers a comprehensive tutorial in the concepts, strategies and tools of protein engineering – and explains the role of this discipline in the progression of biotherapeutic research and development. The class is directed at scientists new to the industry or working in support roles, academic scientists and career protein scientists wanting a detailed update on the current state of the field.

Today’s wealth of knowledge of protein structures is reviewed, along with the genetics of diversity generation of antibodies, to give insights into the best strategies for improving protein function. There is particular emphasis on the selection of functional assays to monitor effectively the changes in desired properties.

Display technologies such as phage display and yeast display are described and the advantages and disadvantages of each compared. Design strategies are presented for constructing libraries of variant proteins for display, and panning strategies for enriching proteins with the desired properties considered.

The course details the engineering and enhancement of traditional antibodies and also cytokines, antibody fragments and emerging antibody-like scaffolds. Also included is a discussion of the roles of protein engineering in the discovery, design and development of new therapeutic modalities including antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), bispecific antibodies and Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) constructs.

This class will discuss the expression platforms used for producing proteins for testing and for manufacture, along with the rapidly emerging role of protein engineering in optimizing antibody and other protein therapeutics.

A background in biochemistry and molecular biology is useful, as the course is designed to progress rapidly from simple to advanced concepts. Links and references will be provided with the course materials to provide a glossary and other useful resources.

Topics include:

What is Protein Engineering?

• Functions amenable to engineering: affinity, specificity, catalysis, stability, solubility, immunogenicity, serum half-life

Tools and Techniques

• The measure of success: functional assays
• Engineering by design
• Engineering by random mutation
• Designed libraries
• Display technologies
• Deep sequncing applications in analyzing Libraries and repertoires

Production and Manufacturing

• Evaluating biotherapeutic developability
• Improving manufacturing by protein engineering methods
• Glycosylation engineering – function and homogeneity
• Other protein modifications
• Immunogenicity engineering and humanization
• Expression of antibodies and fragments for discovery and testing
• Manufacturing platforms for antibodies and fragment

Emerging Molecule and Product Formats

• Bispecific antibodies/binders
• Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs)
• CAR-T strategies
• Other emerging constructs

The Future of Protein Engineering

Instructor Biography:

David Bramhill, Ph.D., Founder, Bramhill Biological Consulting, LLC

Dr. Bramhill has over 20 years’ experience in biologics, both in large biopharma and startup biotech companies. He has experience in isolating and improving antibodies using phage display and other display systems and is an inventor on library design techniques for small scaffolds. He also has experience in diverse expression systems for producing antibodies, antibody fragments and different scaffolds. He has taught numerous technical courses for over 10 years at international conferences and served as a Key Opinion Leader for major BioPharma.

Training Seminar Information

Each CHI Training Seminar offers 1.5 days of instruction with start and stop times for each day shown above and on the Event-at-a-Glance published in the onsite Program & Event Guide. Training Seminars will include morning and afternoon refreshment breaks, as applicable, and lunch will be provided to all registered attendees on the full day of the class.

Each person registered specifically for the training seminar will be provided with a hard copy handbook for the seminar in which they are registered. A limited number of additional handbooks will be available for other delegates who wish to attend the seminar, but after these have been distributed, no additional books will be available.

Though CHI encourages track hopping between conference programs, we ask that Training Seminars not be disturbed once they have begun. In the interest of maintaining the highest quality learning environment for Training Seminar attendees, and because Seminars are conducted differently than conference programming, we ask that attendees commit to attending the entire program, and not engage in track hopping, as to not disturb the hands-on style instruction being offered to the other participants.